The present invention relates generally to automatic call distribution systems and, more particularly, to an automatic call distribution system and method for grouping available agents by individual skills in such a call distributor to expeditiously connect an incoming telephone caller with an available agent having one or more skills deemed useful in handling the specific needs of the caller.
Automatic call distributors (ACDs) are becoming increasingly utilized by businesses to automatically route incoming customer calls to available agents. Some ACDs route incoming telephone calls based on the skills of the agents and the needs of the incoming callers. When agents having the necessary skills are unavailable, the customer is typically placed in one or more queues to await an available agent or is connected to an agent having somewhat related skills.
One method for automatic call distribution is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,206,903 issued to Kohler et al. In the Kohler method, each incoming call is initially assigned up to three prioritized skill numbers representative of the estimated skill requirements of the calling party. Each agent possesses up to four skill numbers that represent various skills of the agent. For an agent having more than four skills, artificial skill numbers are used. In a travel agency, for example, agents may have knowledge of the cities, sites, etc. of one or more states. To accommodate agents having knowledge of more than four states, the Kohler method provides for the assignment of artificial skill numbers representing a group of states, such as the New England states.
Upon arrival of an incoming call, a first group of agents are searched in an attempt to match the first prioritized skill number of the call with an available agent having that skill number. Failing to find a match of the first skill number, a second search is conducted for an available agent having either the first or second skill number. If a match still has not been found, a search of the first group of agents is made for an available agent having either the first, second or third skill number. If after the third search the incoming caller is not yet connected with an agent, a second group of agents is searched for a predetermined, artificial skill number designating general knowledge in the desired area while the first group of agents continues to be searched for either the first, second or third skill number.
As will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, the agent selection process disclosed in Kohler et al. may result in undesirable time delays as the agents are searched for a correct match. Since the Kohler invention searches all of the agents in a group at each level of searching, the system may take an inordinately long time to match caller skill requirements to agent skills, especially if each group has a large number of agents. The Kohler method will search all agents in the first group for all three skill numbers even if all agents in the group are unavailable. Further, even after this extended time period, the caller may be connected to an agent having an artificial skill number and, therefore, possibly only a cursory knowledge of the subject matter of the call.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved automatic call distribution system and method for grouping available agents in which the incoming caller is connected, in a timely fashion, to an available agent having one or more specific skills deemed necessary to handle the call.